"Excuse the interruption. Ms Gro....h.....Umm, Ms G can you please call the office?"
I'll never forget that one. This was when I was supply teaching at a school. After a little laugh, I picked up the school phone, dialed the office and the principal picked up.
"Hi! It's Amber. I was called?"
"Hi....ok, first thing....how do I say your last name?"
And, appreciating the question, I proceeded to explain the way I always do..
"It's pronounced "gross"...like "eww, that's disgusting"
(laughter)
_
I've always enjoyed listening to people attempt to pronounce my last name. Mainly because, as people tend to admit, they are afraid to possibly offend me in some way by pronouncing it incorrectly...or correctly. So, I've used this way of telling others how to say it in a way that shows them clearly how to say it, and gives a little laugh so they don't feel like it's going to offend me in any way.
Having people mispronounce this many times in my life, has always reminded me of one thing as an educator: kids deserve to have their name pronounced correctly.
I may find it kinda funny when people mispronounce my name, but I know that some don't. I've met students who were tired of their names being mispronounced, some creating shorter forms that were easier to say, some just expecting their name to be mispronounced by others simply because no one asked them how to pronounce it properly.
When I was supply teaching, I would run attendance in the morning and, every time, would state one thing first: "I am about to do attendance. If I say your name wrong, please correct me now. I do not want to spend all day mispronouncing your name" (this included if they preferred short forms...Alex/Alexander, etc)
And the students appreciated it. It showed them respect. It showed them that they mattered. They are important. They deserve to be called by their name.
Have I mispronounced names after asking how to say it correctly? Yep! I even clearly remember calling a student once probably about 6 times the wrong name...until 3 students in his class turned around and all said his correct name at once to me. I apologized to the student and made sure I said his name correctly the rest of the day.
And, if you're thinking...I'm not sure how to say it...don't be afraid to ask. How do I say your name? Am I saying it correctly?
As Jennifer Gonzalez wrote, "For some students, you may be the first person who ever bothered. If the only time you ever say their name is in the classroom, your correct pronunciation will help the whole class learn it, too. Eventually that will ripple through the school, making that student feel known in a place where before they felt unknown" (J. Gonzalez, Cult of Pedagogy; https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/gift-of-pronunciation/)
Be that first ripple.
I'll never forget that one. This was when I was supply teaching at a school. After a little laugh, I picked up the school phone, dialed the office and the principal picked up.
"Hi! It's Amber. I was called?"
"Hi....ok, first thing....how do I say your last name?"
And, appreciating the question, I proceeded to explain the way I always do..
"It's pronounced "gross"...like "eww, that's disgusting"
(laughter)
_
I've always enjoyed listening to people attempt to pronounce my last name. Mainly because, as people tend to admit, they are afraid to possibly offend me in some way by pronouncing it incorrectly...or correctly. So, I've used this way of telling others how to say it in a way that shows them clearly how to say it, and gives a little laugh so they don't feel like it's going to offend me in any way.
Having people mispronounce this many times in my life, has always reminded me of one thing as an educator: kids deserve to have their name pronounced correctly.
I may find it kinda funny when people mispronounce my name, but I know that some don't. I've met students who were tired of their names being mispronounced, some creating shorter forms that were easier to say, some just expecting their name to be mispronounced by others simply because no one asked them how to pronounce it properly.
When I was supply teaching, I would run attendance in the morning and, every time, would state one thing first: "I am about to do attendance. If I say your name wrong, please correct me now. I do not want to spend all day mispronouncing your name" (this included if they preferred short forms...Alex/Alexander, etc)
And the students appreciated it. It showed them respect. It showed them that they mattered. They are important. They deserve to be called by their name.
Have I mispronounced names after asking how to say it correctly? Yep! I even clearly remember calling a student once probably about 6 times the wrong name...until 3 students in his class turned around and all said his correct name at once to me. I apologized to the student and made sure I said his name correctly the rest of the day.
And, if you're thinking...I'm not sure how to say it...don't be afraid to ask. How do I say your name? Am I saying it correctly?
As Jennifer Gonzalez wrote, "For some students, you may be the first person who ever bothered. If the only time you ever say their name is in the classroom, your correct pronunciation will help the whole class learn it, too. Eventually that will ripple through the school, making that student feel known in a place where before they felt unknown" (J. Gonzalez, Cult of Pedagogy; https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/gift-of-pronunciation/)
Be that first ripple.
Comments
Post a Comment